Loose-leaf binder



Feb. 28, 1967 R. s. MASON 3,306,301

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed March 14, 1966 United States Patent Ofilice 3,306,301 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,306,301 LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Raynold S. Mason, 912 Main St., Edmonds, Wash. 98020 Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 534,159 6 Claims. (Cl. 129-4) This invention relates to a loose-leaf binder and, more particularly, to a sheet lifter apparatus to facilitate closing of a ring binder while insuring that the liller sheets mounted on the usual circular retaining rings are dislodged from the lower outer portions of the rings and thus not pressed there by the covers.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a sheet lifter apparatus which is simple and easy to construct; can be produced by conventional folding and perforating techniques common to the paper industry; which is simple to install in a loose-leaf binder of the circular ring type; and which very effectively facilitates closing of the binder and reducing damage to the filler sheets during their necessary movement on the retaining rings from the spread open to the closed position.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description in which is disclosed a preferred and a slightly modified embodiment of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description that the invention may take variable forms as to materials and as to the proportion of parts of the lifter apparatus and of the same relative a particular ring binder. All such as reasonably fall within the scope and spirit of the invention defined in the subjoined claims and described in this disclosure, having reference to a liberal application of the doctrine of equivalents, is intended to be covered hereby.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary end view of a loose-leaf, ring binder incorporation therein sheet lifter apparatus and including a quantity of filler sheets;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of the sheet lifter member;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view from beneath of an end portion of the sheet lifter member showing a variation in construction; and

FIGURE 4 is an end-sectional view of the member of FIGURE 3 taking in the plane indicated by line 4 4 thereof.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the ring binder comprises the back and the side covers 12 and 14, each hingedly connected at 16 to the back 10. Normally the back 10 and the side covers 12 and 14 are rigid'or semi-rigid and afford substantial protection for the loose-leaf or filler sheets 18 usually contained in such books.

A plurality of spaced-apart substantially circular retaining rings 20, usually split rings, are swingably mounted relative a shield plate housing 22 for opening and closing movement. The housing 22 extends, under usual circumstances, the full length of the back 10 and the rings 20 are spaced therealong in conventional manner. For the sake of this description it will be considered that there are three such rings mounted on back 22, and that they are spaced to receive the conventional three-hole punched paper of the 81/2 x 11 inch size. Normally the housing 22 is secured to the back 10 by a rivet 23 which is clenched inside to fform an instanding boss or collar 25.

The retaining rings 20 are split and the two portions thereof swingable toward and away from each other to close or open the rings are mounted within the shield plate chamber by conventional ring operating mechanism (not shown) Awhich supports the rings and permits their being snapped open and snapped shut.

The sheet lifter apparatus 24 comprises a medially located, channel-shaped member that includes the web 26 and marginal flanges 28, 28 at opposite sides of the web 26. The junctions 27, 27 between the web 26 and each marginal flange 28 preferably constitutes a hinge joinder between these elements. Similarly by a second hinge joinder 29 on each of the marginal flanges 28 there is connected a flat sheet lifter plate or wing 30 that, in the open position of the ring binder, extends outward and away from the web. The outer edges of each wing 30 lie on the inner surface of the adjacent cover, either 12 or 14, somewhat as shown in solid lines to the right in FIGURE l.

The web 26 may have perforations 31 near the ends to engage over and receive bosses 25. This interengagement prevents lateral shifting of web 26 relative the center of the back 22 as can sometimes occur. Of course boss 25 may be longer than shown.

Wings 30 are each provided with a series of apertures 32 -so arranged and spaced to fit over rings 20 of the loose-leaf binder. Wings 30 are to the outside or exterior -of the group of filler sheets 18, also secured on the rings of the binder.

It is desirable for maintaining low cost of manufacture that the lifter apparatus 24 be formed of suitably stiff cardboard or tag board. Depending on the nature of the use of the particular binder, and on considerations of cost, it will be obvious that more or less rigid or durable materials may be employed.

With the loose-leaf binder laid open and the split rings 20 opened, the member 24 is normally first inserted into the space between the rings so that the web 26 is brought into overlying relationship with shield 22. The plates or wings 30, 30, by means -of the apertures 32, are engaged over the respective ring portions. Thereafter filler sheets as desired are also engaged on the rings and the rings are closed.

It is quite common with all ring books, and particularly noticeable with ring books in which the retaining rings are in the size range of about 1% to 2" or even larger, that the ller sheets tend to settle down close to the shield 22. Their inner edges are thus disposed on that inwardly curved portion of the ring which lies beneath its diameter D. It is because of this relation of the paper to the ring that difficulty is commonly encountered in closing the ring book unless an assist is given to start the paper moving upward and around the widest diameter of the rings.

It is important to note that the hinge joinders 29, 29 between members 28 and 30, constitute fulcrums for the plates or wings and that these points are located inward of the inner surface of the ring. In the typical instance described above, the inward location of tfulcrums 29 may practically vary from approximately 1A; inch or less to as much as 5%; of an inch or more. It appears preferable that this inward disposition of the fulcrums be approximately 1/4 inch. This inward disposition is maintained by reason of the inner edges of apertures 32 functioning to space the fulcrum points away from the inner ring surfaces in the manner shown. Likewise the stiffness of flanges 28, 28 also support these fulcrums points in spaced relation above shield 22.

As the loose-leaf binder is being closed from a horizontal open position and both covers are being raised toward the upright position, covers 12 and 14 exert pressure on the outer edges of both wings 30, 30 causing them to swing by flexing or pivoting about points 29. Wings 30, 30 function to lift the overlying ller sheets from below to above the largest dimension D of the rings and in so doing pivot about points 29. As the covers and their loose-leaf contents approach the fully closed position the lifter arms 30, 30 continue to urge the looseleaf sheets together at the rings. They also reduce the wear of the frictional action with particular reference to the outermost of the filler sheets, thus reducing damage to the sheets at their perforated edges.

While the arms 30 are pivoting about the axes 29, 29 on flanges 28, 28, the latter may also flex or pivot about the axes of points 27, 27. Note that these points 27, 27 are relatively non-movable with respect to each other, being held apart by the fairly stiff web 26 which normally lies juxtaposed on base 22 generally moving there from very slightly during the critical sheet lifting action.

It has been found that the width of the web 26 relative the internal ring diameter may be as little as about 70-75% of that diameter and as great as 90-95% of that diameter. However, it appears preferable that the web be of a width equal to 85% of the internal diameter of ring whereupon very desirable functioning of the lifter apparatus results.

In some instances it is desirable that the web 26 be of a width that the junctures 27, 27 are so spaced as to press on the inner surface of ring 20 and yet the web is not juxtaposed to shield 26. The latter may be accomplished by providing apertures or notches 40, 40 at those junctures 27 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Notches 40 permit the web and its edge junctures 27 to partially embrace or to even extend past the lower parts of ring 20 as shown in FIGURE 4.

However, when a person closes a horizontally open ring-book by movement of but one of the covers 12 or 14 while the other remains as disposed, the action of the lifter is largely restricted to that one caused to function. In such case, as is suggested in FIGURE l, the book closing action is slightly different. Base 22 will have to pivot about its connection with the non-moving cover 14 (see FIGURE l). The moving cover 12 also pivots about its connection 16 with base 22. The lefthand lifter or wing 30 pivots or flexes about the hinge axis at 29 which, being elevated relative base 22 and slightly inward of the ring 20, smoothly urges sheets 18 to the left in the drawing upward past the larger dimension D of the ring. It will be noted that this lifting action is facilitated from the beginning. The sheets 18 when the book was open were prevented from settling into the lower incurving portions of rings 20 by the arm or wing 30 due to its inner edge at pivot 29 being held elevated by the flange 2.8 which is relative non-collapsible.

These lifting actions, either double or single, appear to be not only useful but extraordinarily `benecial in this field. The structure is a novel combination that despite its simplicity apparently was wholly unobvious despite considerable prior and current activity in this ield.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A loose-leaf binder comprising a pair of cover mem- Ibers hinged to a back member and adapted to be swung to open and closed positions;

a plurality of spaced apart substantially circular retaining rings adapted to receive iiller sheets provided with apertures at their inner marginal edges for fitting over said rings;

said retaining rings being split and portions thereof being swingable toward and away from each other to close or open the rings;

a shield plate mounted on and spaced from said back member to provide a chamber enclosing therein ring operating mechanisms for supporting said rings and for opening and closing said rings;

said shield plate having apertures through which the rings extend with a major portion of the arc of the circle of each ring exposed;

a channel-shaped `member having its web superposed over said shield plate within said plurality of circular retaining rings;

the marginal ilanges of said channel-shaped member each being hingedly joined at one edge to said web and each having an opposite edge inwardly spaced from said rings;

a flat sheet lifter member fulcrumed at one of its edges to each of said opposite flange edges of said channel-shaped member and provided with apertures for tting over said rings exterior of filler sheets thereon, the inner edges of said apertures being spaced from said fulcrums to maintain said fulcrums spaced inward from said rings.

2. The structure according to claim 1 in which the Web of the channel-shaped member has a width that is from about to about 95% of the internal diameter of the retaining ring.

3. The structure according to claim 1 in which the channel-shaped member, its marginal flanges, and the fiat sheet lifter members fulcrum to the flanges are integral and formed of a semi-stiff brous sheet stock.

4. The structure according to claim 1 in which the web of the channel-shaped -member is broader than the internal dimension of the rings at their junctures with the shield member and the web and its marginal flanges has notches at their lines of joinder to at least partially embrace the retaining ring.

5. A sheet lifter apparatus for use in loose-leaf binders of the retaining ring type comprising:

a channel-shaped member having a web and opposed marginal flanges each hingedly joined at one edge to opposite edges of the web; and

a flat, sheet lifter wing each hingedly joined at one edge to the edge of each flange opposite the hinged edge for pivotal movement about the point of joinder, said lifter wings being provided with apertures spaced from the hinged edge for fitting over retaining rings of a loose-leaf binder and in conjunction with said marginal llanges locating said hinged joinders inward of such rings in spaced relation above said web.

6. The structure according to claim 1 in which there is an instanding boss on said back member and the web has an opening to engage the same to prevent lateral shifting of the web relative the back member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,560 1l/l932 McCleary 129-4 2,179,986 11/1939 Trussell 129-4 2,453,459 ll/1948 Roberts 129-4 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,326,456 4/1963 France. 1,347,216 11/1963 France.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LOOSE-LEAF BINDER COMPRISING A PAIR OF COVER MEMBERS HINGED TO A BACK MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE SWUNG TO OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS; A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR RETAINING RINGS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FILLER SHEETS PROVIDED WITH APERTURES AT THEIR INNER MARGINAL EDGES FOR FITTING OVER SAID RINGS; SAID RETAINING RINGS BEING SPLIT AND PORTIONS THEREOF BEING SWINGABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO CLOSE OR OPEN THE RINGS; A SHIELD PLATE MOUNTED ON AND SPACED FROM SAID BACK MEMBER TO PROVIDE A CHAMBER ENCLOSING THEREIN RING OPERATING MECHANISMS FOR SUPPORTING SAID RINGS AND FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID RINGS; SAID SHIELD PLATE HAVING APERTURES THROUGH WHICH THE RINGS EXTEND WITH A MAJOR PORTION OF THE ARC OF THE CIRCLE OF EACH RING EXPOSED; A CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING ITS WEB SUPERPOSED OVER SAID SHIELD PLATE WITHIN SAID PLURALITY OF CIRCULAR RETAINING RINGS; THE MARGINAL FLANGES OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER EACH BEING HINGEDLY JOINTED AT ONE EDGE TO SAID WEB AND EACH HAVING AN OPPOSITE EDGE INWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID RINGS; A FLAT SHEET LIFTER MEMBER FULCRUMED AT ONE OF ITS EDGES TO EACH OF SAID OPPOSITE FLANGE EDGES OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH APERTURES FOR FITTING OVER SAID RINGS EXTERIOR OF FILLER SHEETS THEREON, THE INNER EDGES OF SAID APERTURES BEING SPACED FROM SAID FULCRUMS TO MAINTAIN SAID FULCRUMS SPACED INWARD FROM SAID RINGS. 